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Small pets

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Original poster

hamsters,mice and gerbils.

20 replies

LimitedEditionLady · 17/08/2013 19:28

We are trying to pick a new pet,what do you guys think about mice?i like hamsters but oh wants mice.I just dont know.

OP posts:
RobotHamster · 17/08/2013 19:34

Rats are the best. :)

MrsSpencerReid · 17/08/2013 19:37

Hamsters are the bestest Grin

Jbck · 17/08/2013 19:40

Gerbils everytime. Hamsters smell no matter how much you clean them out and Ive ad a few over the years. Nocturnal so not so good for young children although more docile and slow than gerbils.
Gerbilarium glass or plastic with peat and straw very interesting as you can see all their burrowing.
Never owned mice so can't comment on them.

littlemisswise · 17/08/2013 19:48

Hamsters are the best. They do not smell. Ours is trained to use a toilet for his wees, we put either sawdust, or some potty litter in it and change it regularly.

Mine is really, really spoilt. He is grey and white, and the second grey and white one we have had, both had amazing temperaments, they both sleep on us, run round the room freely, never, ever bite. We have had others who have been really friendly too, but the grey and white ones are the best IMO.

I find the males are friendlier than the females. If you get one don't get one from Pets at home, go to an independent pet shop and, also, get the biggest case you can afford and have room for. Ours is this one.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/08/2013 20:19

Quite obviously, guinea-pigs are the superior being in the rodenty world Wink

But out of the choice listed:

I've had pet mice. The males STINK like you wouldn't believe (Makes my guinea boars smell like a flower garden in comparison)

Female mice are lovely, gentle, inquisitive but ours were great escapologists. And one was pg when we got her Hmm

Gerbils at school so no idea except one ate the other (dad and son)

Hamsters- never had.

If I was going to buy a rodent that wasn't a GP, I'd pick rats (female). Clever, lively, friendly but big enough to cuddle. And their tales aren't so bad when you cuddle them.
(Though our mice used to wrap their tails round our wrists or fingers, walk on the underside of our arms and 'whip' with their tails)

expatinscotland · 17/08/2013 20:22

Power to the Syrian Hamster!

enormouse · 17/08/2013 20:31

I've worked a lot with animals (went to vet school) and owned hamsters (3) and guinea pigs (4). I liked guinea pigs the most, awake during the day and I've never ever been bitten by a guinea pig.

Mice - I found very nervy and too small to make good pets, esp for kids.
Rats - lovely. I'd definitely get one if I could.
Hamsters - better than mice but I prefer guineas and rats.

RobotHamster · 17/08/2013 20:44

Fun games to play with your hamster

Original poster
LimitedEditionLady · 17/08/2013 20:57

Robothamster,thats disgusting.

OP posts:
Grittzio · 17/08/2013 21:02

Hamsters, we have only had boys which don't smell, apparently girl hamsters smell because they come into season every few days or so I was told by the pet shop....

RobotHamster · 17/08/2013 21:07

:)

Jbck · 17/08/2013 22:33

Maybe I had lady hamsters but tey all smelled, no matter how regularly tey were cleaned. They had a toilet corner too but couldn't seem to ever keep them pong free for more than a few hours.

expatinscotland · 17/08/2013 23:06

We've had females and no smell.

Twooter · 17/08/2013 23:11

We've got 2 female Syrian hamsters and 1 was smelly and the other wasn't. Both are lovely, and beg to be held.

Don't make the mistake of getting Chinese or Russian hamsters - they are completely different and a nightmare to handle.

We got ours from pets at home, and they were both healthy and seemed very used to people.

insanityscratching · 17/08/2013 23:16

We've got a hamster and she is brilliant and doesn't smell she's toilet trained. She's friendly and fun and not too fast so easy to handle. She's not nocturnal she's awake when dd comes home from school because she feeds her and plays with her then and she's awake at bedtime because dd sits talking to her and then during the night. She's really gentle has never nipped and very sweet.
Mice constantly dribble urine so I wouldn't want to hold them and my friend's rats stink to high heaven tbh.

expatinscotland · 17/08/2013 23:19

We just bought a black female Syrian for DD2 after her last, lovely female Syrian died. She is SO cute! We won't train her for a couple more days but she's already 'greeting' us.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 17/08/2013 23:37

i can't remember our female mice peeing on us that much TBH (though they did pooh loads)

My lovely male guinea-pigs let s know when they need a pee. Very rarely do they pee on us and it's 99% when we don't read the signs.
Even my baby pig is good now Smile

mouses · 18/08/2013 12:14

ive had all 3. my opinions

mice - males STINK! females lovely but they take a while to tame up. i have 7 at the mo and come to me when i open the doors.

hamsters - ive had both sex, some have stunk to high heaven. few of mine have bitten and depending how interested you are in watching a sleeping hamster all day and keep you awake all night its different preferances lol.

rats - fantastic! sadly i am allergic to both sexes so cant keep them. BUT they are friendly, smart, i spot cleaned daily to keep smell down. boys are more docile, girl are more more inquisitive.

gerbils - i had 2 boys once that bit my fingers to shreds! i currently own 3 older adopted females who are lovely, they dont smell at all! never attempted to bite.

good luck :-)

Original poster
LimitedEditionLady · 18/08/2013 21:29

So much to think about.mice dont seem popular....

OP posts:
aristocat · 19/08/2013 10:01

I am another hamster fan Grin
We have had several Russian Dwarf and they are gorgeous, very friendly and love being held/ played with.

Sadly they do not live very long but I would definitely recommend them.

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